Oscillator sync: Difference between revisions

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'''Oscillator sync''' is a feature in some [[synthesizer]]s with two or more [[oscillator]]s. One oscillator will restart the period of another oscillator, so that they will have the same ~~[[frequency|~~base frequency]]. This produces a particular type of sound, rich with [[harmonics]], harsh but musical. The oscillator that resets the other oscillator(s) is called the master, and an oscillator that is reset by another oscillator is called a slave. The [[timbre]] can be altered on the slave oscillator by varying its frequency input. There are two common forms of oscillator sync which appear on synthesizers: ''hard sync'' and ''soft sync''. Soft sync is a term used for a variety of mechanisms.

'''Oscillator sync''' is a feature in some [[synthesizer]]s with two or more [[oscillator]]s. One oscillator will restart the [[period]] of another oscillator, so that they will have the same base

[[frequency]]. This produces a particular type of sound, rich with [[harmonics]], harsh but musical. The oscillator that resets the other oscillator(s) is called the master, and an oscillator that is reset by another oscillator is called a slave. The [[timbre]] can be altered on the slave oscillator by varying its input frequency. There are two common forms of oscillator sync which appear on synthesizers: ''hard sync'' and ''soft sync''. Soft sync is a term used for a variety of mechanisms.

==Hard sync==

In a hard sync setup, the slave oscillator is forced to reset to some level and [[phase]] (for example, zero) with every cycle of the master regardless of position or direction of the slave [[waveform]], which often generates asymmetrical shapes.

The master oscillator's pitch is generated by user input (typically the synthesizer's [[keyboard]]). The slave oscillator's pitch may be [[musical tuning|tuned]], or detuned]] from this frequency, or may remain constant. Every time the master oscillator's cycle repeats, the slave is re-triggered, regardless of its position. If the slave is tuned to a lower frequency than the master it will be forced to repeat before it completes an entire cycle, and if it is tuned to a higher frequency it will be forced to repeat partway through a second or third cycle. This technique ensures that the oscillators are technically playing at the same frequency, but the irregular cycle of the slave oscillator often causes unnatural timbres and the impression of [[harmony]].

The master oscillator's pitch is generated by user input (typically the synthesizer's [[keyboard]]). The slave oscillator's pitch may be [[musical tuning|tuned]], or detuned from this frequency, or may remain constant. Every time the master oscillator's cycle repeats, the slave is re-triggered, regardless of its position. If the slave is tuned to a lower frequency than the master it will be forced to repeat before it completes an entire cycle, and if it is tuned to a higher frequency it will be forced to repeat partway through a second or third cycle. This technique ensures that the oscillators are technically playing at the same frequency, but the irregular cycle of the slave oscillator often causes unnatural timbres and the impression of [[harmony]].

This effect may be achieved by measuring the zero axis crossings of the master oscillator and re-triggering the slave oscillator after every other crossing.

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==Sync-based architectures==

A variety of synthesis architectures are based on sync, often used in conjunction with [[~~Amplitude~~ modulation]], [[~~Frequency~~ modulation]] or [[~~Phase~~ modulation]]. Such architectures include

A variety of synthesis architectures are based on sync, often used in conjunction with [[amplitude modulation]], [[frequency modulation]] or [[phase modulation]]. Such architectures include

*[http://www.csounds.com/manualOLPC/vosim.html VOSIM]

*[[Physical modelling synthesis]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Oscillator sync''' is a feature in some [[synthesizer]]s with two or more [[oscillator]]s. One oscillator will restart the period of another oscillator, so that they will have the same [[frequency|base frequency]]. This produces a particular type of sound, rich with [[harmonics]], harsh but musical. The oscillator that resets the other oscillator(s) is called the master, and an oscillator that is reset by another oscillator is called a slave. The [[timbre]] can be altered on the slave oscillator by varying its frequency input. There are two common forms of oscillator sync which appear on synthesizers: ''hard sync'' and ''soft sync''. Soft sync is a term used for a variety of mechanisms.
+'''Oscillator sync''' is a feature in some [[synthesizer]]s with two or more [[oscillator]]s. One oscillator will restart the [[period]] of another oscillator, so that they will have the same base
+[[frequency]]. This produces a particular type of sound, rich with [[harmonics]], harsh but musical. The oscillator that resets the other oscillator(s) is called the master, and an oscillator that is reset by another oscillator is called a slave. The [[timbre]] can be altered on the slave oscillator by varying its input frequency. There are two common forms of oscillator sync which appear on synthesizers: ''hard sync'' and ''soft sync''. Soft sync is a term used for a variety of mechanisms.
 ==Hard sync==
 In a hard sync setup, the slave oscillator is forced to reset to some level and [[phase]] (for example, zero) with every cycle of the master regardless of position or direction of the slave [[waveform]], which often generates asymmetrical shapes.
-The master oscillator's pitch is generated by user input (typically the synthesizer's [[keyboard]]). The slave oscillator's pitch may be [[musical tuning|tuned]], or detuned]] from this frequency, or may remain constant. Every time the master oscillator's cycle repeats, the slave is re-triggered, regardless of its position. If the slave is tuned to a lower frequency than the master it will be forced to repeat before it completes an entire cycle, and if it is tuned to a higher frequency it will be forced to repeat partway through a second or third cycle. This technique ensures that the oscillators are technically playing at the same frequency, but the irregular cycle of the slave oscillator often causes unnatural timbres and the impression of [[harmony]].
+The master oscillator's pitch is generated by user input (typically the synthesizer's [[keyboard]]). The slave oscillator's pitch may be [[musical tuning|tuned]], or detuned from this frequency, or may remain constant. Every time the master oscillator's cycle repeats, the slave is re-triggered, regardless of its position. If the slave is tuned to a lower frequency than the master it will be forced to repeat before it completes an entire cycle, and if it is tuned to a higher frequency it will be forced to repeat partway through a second or third cycle. This technique ensures that the oscillators are technically playing at the same frequency, but the irregular cycle of the slave oscillator often causes unnatural timbres and the impression of [[harmony]].
 This effect may be achieved by measuring the zero axis crossings of the master oscillator and re-triggering the slave oscillator after every other crossing.
@@ Line 45: / Line 46: @@
 ==Sync-based architectures==
-A variety of synthesis architectures are based on sync, often used in conjunction with [[Amplitude modulation]], [[Frequency modulation]] or [[Phase modulation]]. Such architectures include
+A variety of synthesis architectures are based on sync, often used in conjunction with [[amplitude modulation]], [[frequency modulation]] or [[phase modulation]]. Such architectures include
 *[http://www.csounds.com/manualOLPC/vosim.html VOSIM]
 *[[Physical modelling synthesis]]

Oscillator sync: Difference between revisions

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